Tuition and Financing

Many families are attracted to Wingra School for its excellent teaching, individualized approach, and strong sense of community. Often the only deterrent is the cost of tuition. Few families can afford the cost of an independent school education without a major shift in financial priorities and planning. Most Wingra families have chosen to adjust their spending, maximize both parents' earnings, and give their children's education a very high priority in their financial planning.

Families meet their financial obligations to Wingra School in different ways. Wingra offers three payment-plan options to better accommodate the range of economic resources available to our families. The monthly payment plan allows for an easier monthly payment schedule at a slightly higher cost. The annual payment plan provides a discount for families able to pay the entire tuition at the beginning of the year. Some families take out a short-term loan in order to take advantage of the discount and find that the savings in tuition exceed the cost of interest.

A longer-term loan can be obtained through Key Education Resources. These loans are designed specifically for the purpose of education and can be repaid over a period of twenty years.

Some families rely on help from grandparents or family trusts in order to afford tuition for Wingra.

For families unable to pay the full cost of tuition despite careful financial management, Wingra School established the Joyce Perkins Scholarship Fund in 1987. Financial aid, in the form of a reduction in tuition, is awarded based on financial need.

Tuition payment plans

Amounts reflect 2008-2009 tuition for one child
Families new to the school make the first payment upon signing contract

Achiever Loan

The Achiever Loan is offered through Key Education Resources, a Boston company that has been providing educational financing to families whose children attend independent schools and colleges nationwide for over forty-five years. It is a personal, unsecured loan designed exclusively for educational expenses. Families need to apply only once for multiple years. Application forms for this loan are available from the Key Education Resources website.

Financial Aid

Wingra School offers need-based financial aid to families unable to afford full tuition. Step by step instructions, can be found here (Adobe Reader required; click here to download). As part of the process, Wingra uses the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS) in Princeton, NJ to determine each family's financial need. The analysis is based on a number of factors, including taxable and non-taxable income, assets owned, liabilities, ages of parents, and the number of children in the family.

Named after Wingra School's Director, the Joyce Perkins Scholarship Fund awarded a total of $4000 of financial aid in its inaugural year of 1987-1988. The amount awarded has grown each year, and currently over 20% of Wingra students receive financial aid. Money for the fund comes from fund raising events and donations. The Wingra community has worked hard and contributed generously over the years to continually increase the amount of aid available.

Awards are based on a family’s financial need, which is determined by SSS, and the amount of money available in the Scholarship Fund. Once a family receives financial aid, Wingra is committed to maintaining that level of aid for future years. As a family’s financial circumstances change, the level of aid will change correspondingly. All financial aid information provided is held in strictest confidence.

Financial aid decisions are made independently of other school functions and do not affect a student's chances for admission or continuation at Wingra School. Financial aid packets for the 2008-2009 school year are available. The application deadline is March 15, 2008.

Financial aid packets are available in the school office, or call 608-238-2525 to request that one be mailed to you.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please call or write to Joyce Perkins at 608-238-2525 or info@wingraschool.org.

A welcoming community for all kinds of families, Wingra School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of gender, race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, political persuasion, national or ethnic origin, or disability in its admission or financial aid policies.